Sunday, June 23, 2013

First off, big bruisers are intimidating. So they need Intimidation as a class skill, and it should be based on their Strength. They aren't charismatic. To give the class full flavor, the class can use Intimidate once per round as a free action. Alternatively, we could give him an aura of intimidation, requiring any creature that attacks him to face an Intimidation check.

Power Attack, Cleave, and Great Cleave should be the basis of the class.

The class should push around its enemies. A successful hit should count as a Bull Rush against the opponent.

The Big Bruiser may be treated as +1 size category when advantageous to the character.

Aside from that, the class is a shoe-in for two-handed weapons, which already work pretty well in 3.x.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Where should I go from here? Right now, I think I'll do a few more fighter, this time based on fighter archetypes.

The Big Bruiser - Little John
The Archer - Robin Hood
The Old Master - Cyrano De Bergerac
The Up and Comer - D'Artagnon
The Leader of Men - So many to choose from.
The Scrapper - Dangerous when cornered.

Certain types aren't worth my consideration. What's important to me is how easily your fellow players understand your character interacts in battle and in the world, and how easily that leads to designing a class based on that.

I am sure that there are more good archetypes, but I haven't identified them yet.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Armor of Achilles - Forged by Hephaestus himself, the armor of Achilles is leaps and bound better than any moral armor. This adamantine armor provides a +10 armor class and a +5 enchantment bonus. The armor is so amazing that the wearer can nullify one melee attack or magical effect per round. What would normall be a hit is instead reduced to a miss. Any magic effect about to affect the wearer, or already affecting the wearer, is also nullified.

Bow of Ulysses - This bow requires an 18 strength to use. The bow is +5 to hit and damage, and adjusts its pull to the strength of the user. In addition, once per day, the bow can fire any arrow as an Arrow of Slaying.

The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg - This goose lays one golden egg per day. Each egg is worth 10 gp. If eaten, the goose feeds 4-6 people and, being dead, lays no more eggs.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Fighter (Water Elemental Ally)

Water Elemental Ally - At first level, you gain an Water elemental ally. Once per day, as a move action, you may summon this ally, and it will remain for one minute per level. It fights independently under your direction.

Ice Equipment - You can manufacture weapons out of water and ice. Beginning at third level, the item has a +1 enchantement, increasing to +2 at 6th, +3 at 9th, +4 at 12, and +5 at 15th. The equipment melts or disperses in the hands of another person. You can create one item per round. As a free action, you can reform these items into other weapons.

Additionally, these weapons are cold, giving +1d6 cold damage at 5th level, +2d6 at 10th, +3d6 at 15th, and +4d6 at 20th.

Ice equipment never counts against your swim skill.

Swim - You gain Swim 20.

Tidal Surge - A water elemental can become a swirling mass of water around you. Each round, the water elemental gets a free trip attack against anyone within its reach. Additionally, any damage that would normally go to you goes to the water elemental.

Commentary

Water wanted to be much like the other elemental powers. It can become like ice, so could be ice armor, it could be like fire, and it could be like a tornado. It’s quite polymorphic, which water should be.

On the whole, I drew a blank with this design. I think it’s meh. Maybe I’ll come back to it one day.